14.04.2025

How did I come to the Tango?

Shortly after I started a new job at a Luxembourgish Cargo Airline I had a few flights to Buenos Aires spending 2-4 days there. Exploring the city I ended up in San Telmo on a Sunday afternoon on Plaza Dorrego where they had a Tango show. There I recognized that this dance was somewhat different than the European Tango I knew from my dancing lessons when I was young. It was much more sensual and emotional and sometimes even a bit acrobatic. From there on I got enchanted by the Argentinian Tango and started to learn it in Germany together with my wife.

My job as a pilot brought me to many different cities in all 5 continents and very often I could find places called "Milongas" where I could dance. A perfect setup on Milongas is, that you don’t have to be there with your partner, you just go and ask the ladies there for a dance. The Tango songs are usually organized in "Tandas", sets of 3 or 4 songs followed by a "Cortina", a break of maybe one minute where you can change partners for the next Tanda. Most Milongas last for 3-4 hours so that there is plenty of time for dancing and some conversation.

Being a foreigner in so many places gave me the opportunity to meet many local people and have a nice evening.

To find Milongas I use Facebook, Internet, VK(Russia) and recommendation from other Milongas. Finding the venues is not always easy, especially in China. Calling the organizer is helpful since venues often changing. In most places I can use public transport, at least to get there. The organization, dancing and the atmosphere is basically the same everywhere which, in a way, made me feel at home.

Here is a selection of my Milonga photos: